The invention relates to a device of the type incorporating the main principles of claim 1 for electrically conductive contact of an electrically conductive component of a body to be contacted, in particular, an elongate, for example, substantially cylindrical, body such as, for example, a pipe or a cable.
Such devices are used, for example, for connecting a metallic pipe or a stripped outer conductor of a coaxial cable to a ground cable.
EP 0 744 788 A1 discloses a device of the relevant art, which comprises a main body for disposition on the body to be contacted and a contact element for producing an electrically conductive connection with the electrically conductive component of the body to be contacted, the contact element being retained on the respective side of the main body which faces the body to be contacted in the contact mounting position. In this conventionally known device, the main body comprises a support element in the form of a hoop-type metallic collar, which is embedded in elastic material, whereby, on the respective side of the main body which faces the body to be contacted in the contact mounting position, a contact surface for the contact element is left free. The contact element is, in this conventional device, in the configuration of a hoop formed of copper mesh, which is secured on the contact surface of the main body by means of an adhesive material or spot welding.
A disadvantage of the known device is the expensive production cost of the hoop formed of copper mesh which forms the contact element. A further disadvantage is that the hoop is difficult to produce. This complicates and adds to the production expense of the device.
Moreover, a further disadvantage with respect to this conventional device is that, in connection with the securement of the hoop on the metallic collar by means of an adhesive material, the electrical contact surface between the contact element and the collar is reduced as both components are electrically insulated against one another in the region of the adhesive securement. This increases the electrical resistance between the contact element and the collar. In order to counter this increase in electrical resistance, the contact element must have a correspondingly larger surface, which further adds to the production expense of the production of the known device.